Bishops of England and Wales Issue Jubilee Prayer for the Queen

If I use this prayer in Minnesota, I’ll use my best British accent. And take a huuuuge breath before the collect. – awr

V. O Lord, save Elizabeth, our Queen.R. And hear us on the day we call upon you.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.R. And let my cry come before you.

V. The Lord be with you.R. And with your spirit.

Almighty God, we pray,
that your servant Elizabeth, our Queen,
who, by your providence has received the governance of this realm,
may continue to grow in every virtue,
that, imbued with your heavenly grace,
she may be preserved from all that is harmful and evil
and, being blessed with your favour
may, with her consort and the royal family,
come at last into your presence,
through Christ who is the way, the truth and the life
and who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

The bishops of England and Wales have devised this prayer for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to be read out at Masses on Trinity Sunday, June 3, 2012.

During this Mass, the first reading is replaced by 1 Kings 3:11-14 and the Prayer for the Queen, which has been approved by the bishops, is used after the post-Communion prayer and before the final blessing.

You miss my point, Adam. I’ll grant you that it’s too short for their usual mis-transliteratings, but in this case they are making us say something which we do not believe – that HM is a member of the Trinity. It’s like how we believe Christ died for all, but we say many, and so on . . .

I don’t understand the analogy. Are you saying that we believe Christ died “for all” and when stated in the Consecration that he died “for many” that is not what we believe? I didn’t get Her Majesty being a part of the Trinity from my reading.

OK, I’ve read it four times and I don’t see where it implies her membership in the Trinity. Maybe if there was a comma after “through Christ who is the way, the truth and the life”; but the grammar seems alright to these eyes. Am I missing something?

Well, Adam, here you unearth an ants’ nest. First of all, I do believe that while those of the, er, Anglican patromony might call them bidding prayers, on your side of the Flaminian Gate they were known as the General Intercessions until last Sunday and now Prayers of the Faithful. In England, it’s the (horribly incorrect) custom to end them with the Angelic Salutation, and therefore some confusion might arise about praying for the Queen of England, then to the Queen of Heaven.

Lord knows ICEL and Vox Clara have enough trouble with queens as it is.

awr
bet you can’t say it with a straight face!
When I got to:
“by your providence has received the governance of this realm”
I chuckled, very irritating to Americans, God gave her the realm? So God chose the head of the Anglican Church?
then:
…may, with her consort and the royal family

The prayer seems to be based on one used in the past: Domine salvam fac Reginan nostram Victoriam.

Interestingly she ” through thy mercy hath undertaken the government of these realms, [which is now reduced to the singular] may also receive an increase of all virtues, wherewith being adorned, she may avoid the enormity of sin, and being rendered acceptable in thy sight, may come at length to thee, who art the way, the truth and the life.”

I am reminded of the Mayor explaining to the Guardia that Monsignor Quixote had prayed for Franco. “‘Several prayers,’ the Mayor said. ‘One would hardly be enough.'”